Inside Out
Page 26
“What? All my body heat at your disposal? I’m always pleased to be your dream. I’m just as happy to stay right here.” Plus, right there they were totally alone. He had her all to himself, and he selfishly wanted to keep it that way. Damn, he shouldn’t have even suggested moving.
“I picked up some Pablo Neruda,” she said in her seemingly random way, standing and holding a hand out. “Come on, you know you want to. It’ll keep us warm.”
He took her hand, considering pulling her back to his lap to show her what he really wanted to do. He hardened at the vision of her on his lap, riding his c**k as the moon lit her skin. But he stood, thinking about the root canal he’d had the month before to quell the raging hard-on. He took her hand in his own, and led her toward the dance floor. “You did? How do you like him?”
“I got a collection written in Spanish. I like it better that way. Of course I’m rusty, but what I can understand still is sensual, sexy, beautiful. I like it.”
She’d looked it up for him. Had read it because he’d mentioned it. He didn’t know why that floored him the way it did, but wow.
He twirled her, loving that she still wore his suit coat, pulling her to him. The song was slow enough he had the excuse to sway, her body pressed to him. Her scent surrounded him, and everything was right.
“ ‘You’ve moon-lines, apple pathways ...’” he murmured.
She turned her head, looking up to him, a pleased smile on her lips. “That’s lovely.”
“Pablo Neruda. One of his love sonnets called ‘Morning.’ ” One of his favorites.
“I’ll have to see if it’s in the volume I picked up.”
He would read them to her as they lay in his bed, limbs entwined. Yeah. He closed his eyes and breathed her in.
“What’s your favorite thing to do on a Sunday morning?” he asked, and she looked surprised and then pleased. Her face was always so incredibly animated, everything she felt was obvious in her features. She was a horrible poker player, but it was one of his favorite things about her.
“What? You asked me.” He grinned, and she burst out laughing.
“I like you, Andrew. You always make me smile. Um, let’s see. I love sleep, like with an unholy level of obsession. I don’t get enough probably. So I’ll sleep late, until after noon at the very least. I’ll get out of bed only long enough to make coffee and grab a fresh chocolate croissant and get right back under the covers where I’ll read the paper and maybe journal awhile. Total, utter laziness.”
The perfect Sunday if she added him to that bed. He’d be sure to bring extra croissants. “Very nice. A lazy day is one of life’s greatest pleasures.”
The song wound down, and Adrian’s voice sounded. “Rennie and Ella, can you two come up here please?”
“Whoops.” Ella stood back and let go of his body. “Be back in a bit.”
He ignored her good-bye and walked toward the stage with her, waiting to the side with Brody and Todd.
Rennie spoke excitedly in a stage whisper to Adrian and Ella. Ella nodded and took her hand, drawing her into the lights more.
“Rennie would like to say her good-byes.” Ella handed the mic to Rennie, who continued to hold Ella’s hand.
“My momma said I could do this instead of the toast thingy.” She grinned, and Cope found himself joining her.
“I have the best mom in the world. She’s pretty and smart and she’s a great dancer and makes my favorite tacos all the time. She tucks me in every night and don’t even, oops, doesn’t even complain when I brush her hair and catch a tangle.”
Elise had joined Brody, who wrapped his arm around her as they watched their daughter.
“Mom and I had a good life before Brody came. But it’s way better now. Brody reads me ten princess books when I ask, and he lets me paint my toenails if it’s only very light pink or crazy colors like green. He even plays Barbie with me. We got a good family, and I just wanted to say thank you to Brody and Aunt Erin and Uncle Todd and Uncle Ben and Uncle Cope and Uncle Adrian and Gran and Pops. And Ella, who made me a peanut butter marshmallow sandwich to eat tomorrow morning because she loves me and knows they’re my favorite.”
Brody went up and swooped Rennie high into his arms and kissed her cheek. He spoke to her softly, and she giggled, hugging him tight. Ella dabbed her eyes with a handkerchief Adrian handed her.
Elise took the microphone, and Ella stepped back. “Thank you everyone for coming. You’re all incredibly special to us, and having you here to share tonight with us makes it all the more special. I expect to see each and every one of you in two months in this very backyard for the wedding, you hear me? Thank you to the Browns and Copelands, who’ve extended their family and affection to me and Rennie. Thank you to Ella, who does more for people than she’d ever admit. Any girl who’d put on deodorant for her bestie because her bestie had forgotten and the dress was too awkward for me to do it myself is aces. And she makes peanut butter and marshmallow sandwiches for my kid. What’s not to love?”
She turned to Brody. “And thank you to Brody, who made room in his heart and life for not only me but our daughter. I never expected you, Brody, but every day I thank God that I found you. I love you. Thank you for making my dreams come true.”
Brody waved it off, moving to Elise to kiss her while still holding Rennie. “I’m the lucky one. Elise, you fill all my empty spaces. You and Rennie are the reason I wake up smiling every day.”
“I picked up some Pablo Neruda,” she said in her seemingly random way, standing and holding a hand out. “Come on, you know you want to. It’ll keep us warm.”
He took her hand, considering pulling her back to his lap to show her what he really wanted to do. He hardened at the vision of her on his lap, riding his c**k as the moon lit her skin. But he stood, thinking about the root canal he’d had the month before to quell the raging hard-on. He took her hand in his own, and led her toward the dance floor. “You did? How do you like him?”
“I got a collection written in Spanish. I like it better that way. Of course I’m rusty, but what I can understand still is sensual, sexy, beautiful. I like it.”
She’d looked it up for him. Had read it because he’d mentioned it. He didn’t know why that floored him the way it did, but wow.
He twirled her, loving that she still wore his suit coat, pulling her to him. The song was slow enough he had the excuse to sway, her body pressed to him. Her scent surrounded him, and everything was right.
“ ‘You’ve moon-lines, apple pathways ...’” he murmured.
She turned her head, looking up to him, a pleased smile on her lips. “That’s lovely.”
“Pablo Neruda. One of his love sonnets called ‘Morning.’ ” One of his favorites.
“I’ll have to see if it’s in the volume I picked up.”
He would read them to her as they lay in his bed, limbs entwined. Yeah. He closed his eyes and breathed her in.
“What’s your favorite thing to do on a Sunday morning?” he asked, and she looked surprised and then pleased. Her face was always so incredibly animated, everything she felt was obvious in her features. She was a horrible poker player, but it was one of his favorite things about her.
“What? You asked me.” He grinned, and she burst out laughing.
“I like you, Andrew. You always make me smile. Um, let’s see. I love sleep, like with an unholy level of obsession. I don’t get enough probably. So I’ll sleep late, until after noon at the very least. I’ll get out of bed only long enough to make coffee and grab a fresh chocolate croissant and get right back under the covers where I’ll read the paper and maybe journal awhile. Total, utter laziness.”
The perfect Sunday if she added him to that bed. He’d be sure to bring extra croissants. “Very nice. A lazy day is one of life’s greatest pleasures.”
The song wound down, and Adrian’s voice sounded. “Rennie and Ella, can you two come up here please?”
“Whoops.” Ella stood back and let go of his body. “Be back in a bit.”
He ignored her good-bye and walked toward the stage with her, waiting to the side with Brody and Todd.
Rennie spoke excitedly in a stage whisper to Adrian and Ella. Ella nodded and took her hand, drawing her into the lights more.
“Rennie would like to say her good-byes.” Ella handed the mic to Rennie, who continued to hold Ella’s hand.
“My momma said I could do this instead of the toast thingy.” She grinned, and Cope found himself joining her.
“I have the best mom in the world. She’s pretty and smart and she’s a great dancer and makes my favorite tacos all the time. She tucks me in every night and don’t even, oops, doesn’t even complain when I brush her hair and catch a tangle.”
Elise had joined Brody, who wrapped his arm around her as they watched their daughter.
“Mom and I had a good life before Brody came. But it’s way better now. Brody reads me ten princess books when I ask, and he lets me paint my toenails if it’s only very light pink or crazy colors like green. He even plays Barbie with me. We got a good family, and I just wanted to say thank you to Brody and Aunt Erin and Uncle Todd and Uncle Ben and Uncle Cope and Uncle Adrian and Gran and Pops. And Ella, who made me a peanut butter marshmallow sandwich to eat tomorrow morning because she loves me and knows they’re my favorite.”
Brody went up and swooped Rennie high into his arms and kissed her cheek. He spoke to her softly, and she giggled, hugging him tight. Ella dabbed her eyes with a handkerchief Adrian handed her.
Elise took the microphone, and Ella stepped back. “Thank you everyone for coming. You’re all incredibly special to us, and having you here to share tonight with us makes it all the more special. I expect to see each and every one of you in two months in this very backyard for the wedding, you hear me? Thank you to the Browns and Copelands, who’ve extended their family and affection to me and Rennie. Thank you to Ella, who does more for people than she’d ever admit. Any girl who’d put on deodorant for her bestie because her bestie had forgotten and the dress was too awkward for me to do it myself is aces. And she makes peanut butter and marshmallow sandwiches for my kid. What’s not to love?”
She turned to Brody. “And thank you to Brody, who made room in his heart and life for not only me but our daughter. I never expected you, Brody, but every day I thank God that I found you. I love you. Thank you for making my dreams come true.”
Brody waved it off, moving to Elise to kiss her while still holding Rennie. “I’m the lucky one. Elise, you fill all my empty spaces. You and Rennie are the reason I wake up smiling every day.”
